Do center turn lanes increase safety for bicycle riders?
Our county engineers are expanding many county roads (most of which are 45 MPH) in residential areas from two lanes to two lanes + a center turn lane. They say, repeatedly, that this increases safety for people riding bicycles on adjacent multi-use trails because drivers don't feel pressured by cars behind them and so take more time to make a safe turn. This sounds well and good.
EXCEPT, many of us have never noticed a difference in practice. Cars on the new 3-lane roads seemingly turn in to us just as often as before and as often as on the still existing 2-lane roads. Fortunately it's not that often on either and when it does the drivers pretty much always stop before hitting anyone.
I'm thinking that at one point I'd seen a research paper on this.
Does anyone know?